Illinois

Legislation 2019

Clean Energy Jobs Act

The new Clean Energy Jobs Act (HB 3624/SB 2132), sponsored by 34 state representatives and 10 state senators. The bill would move Illinois to 100% renewable energy by 2050, cut carbon pollution from the state’s power sector by 2030, and create steps to electrify the transportation sector. At the same time, the legislation would help keep a lid on energy bills and lead to economic benefits, especially in the form of new jobs, for communities that need them the most.

The legislation is supported by the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition ( ICJC) is a group of more than 200 organizations, businesses, and community leaders working together to advance clean energy jobs, lower energy bills, and healthier air and water. The group championed the Future Energy Jobs Act (FEJA), which passed the Illinois General Assembly with bipartisan support and was signed into law in 2016.

Future Energy Jobs Act (FEJA)

the Future Energy Jobs Act (FEJA), a law enacted in late 2016 that increased the amount of solar and wind energy produced in Illinois while saving customers money on their bills . AAEA supported this legislation.

The Generally Assembly finds that: (1) the State should encourage: the adoption anddeployment of cost-effective distributed energy resourcetechnologies and devices, such as photovoltaics, which canencourage private investment in renewable energyresources, stimulate economic growth, enhance thecontinued diversification of Illinois' energy resourcemix, and protect the Illinois environment; investment inrenewable energy resources, including, but not limited to,photovoltaic distributed generation, which should benefitall citizens of the State, including low-incomehouseholds; and (2) the State's existing energy efficiency standardshould be updated to ensure that customers continue torealize increased value, to incorporate and optimizemeasures enabled by the smart grid, including voltageoptimization measures, and to provide incentives forelectric utilities to achieve the energy savings goals. (b) The General Assembly finds that low-income customersshould be included within the State's efforts to expand the useof distributed generation technologies and devices. Section 1.5. Zero emission standard legislative findings.

The General Assembly finds and declares: (1) Reducing emissions of carbon dioxide and other airpollutants, such as sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, andparticulate matter, is critical to improving air quality inIllinois for Illinois residents. (2) Sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and particulateemissions have significant adverse health effects onpersons exposed to them, and carbon dioxide emissionsresult in climate change trends that could significantlyadversely impact Illinois. (3) The existing renewable portfolio standard has beensuccessful in promoting the growth of renewable energygeneration to reduce air pollution in Illinois. However, toachieve its environmental goals, Illinois must expand itscommitment to zero emission energy generation and value theenvironmental attributes of zero emission generation thatcurrently falls outside the scope of the existing renewableportfolio standard, including, but not limited to, nuclearpower. (4) Preserving existing zero emission energygeneration and promoting new zero emission energygeneration is vital to placing the State on a glide path toachieving its environmental goals and ensuring that airquality in Illinois continues to improve. (5) The Illinois Commerce Commission, the IllinoisPower Agency, the Illinois Environmental Protection

Agency, and the Department of Commerce and EconomicOpportunity issued a report dated January 5, 2015 titled"Potential Nuclear Power Plant Closings in Illinois" (theReport), which addressed the issues identified by IllinoisHouse Resolution 1146 of the 98th General Assembly, which,among other things, urged the Illinois EnvironmentalProtection Agency to prepare a report showing how thepremature closure of existing nuclear power plants inIllinois will affect the societal cost of increasedgreenhouse gas emissions based upon the EnvironmentalProtection Agency's published societal cost of greenhousegases. (6) The Report also included analysis from PJMInterconnection, LLC, which identified significant adverseconsequences for electric reliability, includingsignificant voltage and thermal violations in theinterstate transmission network, in the event thatIllinois' existing nuclear facilities close prematurely.The Report also found that nuclear power plants are amongthe most reliable sources of energy, which means thatelectricity from nuclear power plants is available on theelectric grid all hours of the day and when needed, therebyalways reducing carbon emissions. (7) Illinois House Resolution 1146 further urged thatthe Report make findings concerning potential market-basedsolutions that will ensure that the premature closure of

these nuclear power plants does not occur and that theassociated dire consequences to the environment, electricreliability, and the regional economy are averted. (8) The Report identified potential market-basedsolutions that will ensure that the premature closure ofthese nuclear power plants does not occur and that theassociated dire consequences to the environment, electricreliability, and the regional economy are averted. The General Assembly further finds that the Social Cost ofCarbon is an appropriate valuation of the environmentalbenefits provided by zero emission facilities, provided thatthe valuation is subject to a price adjustment that can reducethe price for zero emission credits below the Social Cost ofCarbon. This will ensure that the procurement of zero emissioncredits remains affordable for retail customers even if energyand capacity prices are projected to rise above 2016 levelsreflected in the baseline market price index. The General Assembly therefore finds that it is necessaryto establish and implement a zero emission standard, which willincrease the State's reliance on zero emission energy throughthe procurement of zero emission credits from zero emissionfacilities, in order to achieve the State's environmentalobjectives and reduce the adverse impact of emitted airpollutants on the health and welfare of the State's citizens.